Seminar on the Future of Food and Sustainability - Transformation

The “Future of Food” events launched last year by the Friends of the Kitchen Association continued this year with a seminar titled “The Future of Food: Transformation—From Local Heritage to Global Collaboration,” held on June 1–2. Organized with the support of the European Union’s Civil Society Program and hosted by the Nadir Gastronomy Platform, the seminar— the future of food was evaluated from the perspectives of agricultural production, transformation, cultural exchange, and global cooperation, based on the principle that access to clean, fair, and healthy food is a human right. 
The first day of the seminar focused on local resources and heritage values. Sessions centered on resources such as water, soil, and seeds also addressed topics including the relationship between agriculture and gastronomy, control mechanisms for geographical indications, heritage grape varieties, the circular economy, and planning in agricultural production.
On the second day of the seminar, discussions centered on the potential for our local resources and heritage values to evolve into a different dimension on a global scale in a world where borders are being transcended. The importance of culinary culture as a form of soft power in diplomacy, the role of food culture in national identity, the preservation of Istanbul’s gastronomic heritage from the past to the future, and the transformative work of international civil society organizations were among the topics on the agenda of the seminar, which featured more than thirty speakers. At the conclusion of the seminar, the following topics emerged as common points emphasized by all participants: 
● Restoring the social and economic prestige of farming ● Protecting native seeds and local varieties ● Overcoming the proliferation of products with geographical indications and establishing sound oversight methods ● A fair agricultural planning model that includes all stakeholders ● The richness and distinction brought by diversity in culinary culture ● Balanced policies that prioritize sustainability in promoting our cuisine